Keith Blayney
|
Having discovered the Blayney Coat of Arms and the Blayney motto, it was not too hard to find the British origins of the heraldry. It turns out that the name is not originally Irish, but stems from Montgomery in Wales, where the family owned a wonderful hall called Gregynog from 1577 to 1795. The last Blayney to own Gregynog (Arthur) sounded like a very decent chap! The name Blayney has previously been assummed to be derived from "blaenau" (Welsh, meaning "uplands") although it could have derived from "Blaenaf" ("foremost" or "chief"), in either case taken as "top" or "Source" (See Evan.html). However, work by Kevin McKenzie [145] shows that the surname "Blayney" began to be used around C14th by a number of families tracing their lines back to Belenus (Beli Mawr), rather than a placename. See Origin of Blayney name The first to use the name "Blayney" or "Blaeney" surname (from my line) was Evan Blayney (Ieaven Blaene) of Tregynon, Monongemeryshire, Wales. |
| |
|
"The Blayney family has been repeatedly celebrated by the chief lards of the Cymry [Welsh], and eulogised by its ablest genealogists, and antiquaries. Eminent also for the public spirit, patriotism, and philanthropy of its members through successive centuries, it claims a descent worthy of its renown from Cadell Deyrenllwg, King of old Powys, the grandfather of Brochwell Ysgythrog, who was the protector of the monks of Bangor at the commencement of the seventh century, and the head of the tribe, of which the Blayney, or Meilir Grug, was a branch." {SANDFORD [387]}. This statement continues an unfortunate myth about Brochwell Ysgythrog as evidence now reveals it was an unrelated Brocmail (Consul of the city of Legecester) who failed to defend the monks (although he tried) and not our Brochwell Ysgythrog who died 570, 43 years before the massacre! The Blayney family descent from Brochfael Ysgithrog (Brochwel), King of Powys is reflected in the Blayney Coat of Arms with its "three nag's heads erased", the same as the arms of Brochfael. I have investigated and confirmed the claim for descent from a Cadwallader, King of Cambria (the old name for Wales) [18] [445], but Lodge's claim that "This noble Family is descended in a direct line from Cadwallader, a younger son of the Prince of Wales" [707] [1111] confuses a Blayney marriage to the grand-daughter of Owain Gwynedd (Prince of Wales) with Owain's brother Cadwallader. Connections to King Arthur implied by Dr. John Dee are not justified and at best are fanciful! However, I have researched the available on-line records as well as as many books and papers on the subject in order to provide a collated pedigree of the Blayney Barons, which is traceable back to Brochfael Ysgrithog, and from there back to King Magnus Maximus the Western Roman Emperor 383-388 and hence through a somewhat debatable line to Constantine I, the first Christian Roman Emperor. Other lines lead back to Ragnar the Viking and Gruffydd ap Cyan (the longest ruling Welsh Prince of Wales, King of Gwynedd), and probably to Richard I of Normandy, (g-grandfather of William the Conquerer). Blayneys have maternal descent from King Henry I and Charlemagne. However, the Irish Blayney connection is quite colourful too. There is a CastleBlayney in Co Monaghan, just inside the NE border of Eire (Republic of Ireland) with an interesting history of the Blayney Lords and their genealogy. For those who like a bit of the supernatural, we even have a Lord Blayney Ghostship Irish legend, "The ghost ship of Carlingford Lough" and a couple of friendly Gregynog ghosts. There is a New Zealand Blayneys page, including direct family ancestry (Family Tree) of most of my NZ Blayney ancestors, traced to Thomas Blayney, born 1754, in London, England where he worked as a tailor at No2 St Agnes Circus, Old Street Road, Finsbury 1809 to 1811. I have also presented a probable line further back to Ieuan Blaene (Evan Blayney) of Tregynon in Wales (through his 2nd son Gruffudd). In 1989 Family Heritage International estimated the population with the surname Blayney in the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Great Britain & Ireland at only 2,224 so it is not unreasonable to assume a connection exists to the aristocratic Blayney family of CastleBlayney in County Monaghan, (Monaghan Co), Ireland and/or the Blayney ((Blaenau) family seated at Gregynog, Montgomery, Wales, from where the Irish Blayneys originated. As far as I can tell, the Radnorshire-Evesham Blayney name has become extinct. As well as the ancestors and descendants of the Blayney Barons and the New Zealand Blayneys, I have records on the Blaneys, the US descendants of Cadwallader Blayney (and his origin), Australian Blayneys, Canadian Blayneys, the descendants of Thomas & Anna Blayney and a number of other branches. These are all incomplete and I welcome any input that might provide more information, particularly linking living Blayney groups to ancestors in Wales or Irelend. In 1714 London an individual, one Arthus Blayney, married with various records showing his surname as BLAYNEY, BLANY, BLAINEY and BLANEY! In 20th century USA "BLANEY" graves turn out to be inscribed "BLAYNEY" I will be trying to include different spellings as variations on BLAYNEY, made by transcribers who were not able or not bothered to obtain the correct spelling! To complicate matters further, Blayneys in the rest of Ireland have often used Blayney, Blaney and Blainey interchangably, no more so than on Ros Davies' Co. Down surnames page where 74 Blayneys are listed, of various religeons and differnt spellings (including different to their fathers' spellings!) [866]
|
Benjamin Blayney (Dr) Henry I (King) (Herle) Henry I (King) (Herbert) |
||
| Keith Blayney Homepage | Gregynog (Wales) | CastleBlayney (Ireland) | Blayney Barons |
